Simplified Seismic Analysis of Embankment Dams‐Canyon‐Wall Configuration

Response of embankment dams to horizontal seismic motions accounting for nonlinearities in dynamic soil behavior and for three-dimensional effects due to the geometrical configuration of canyon walls is analyzed by means of a simple numerical integration procedure. The mechanical model uses Seed's equivalent linear approach and the kinematic assumptions of a shear beam in the central vertical cantilever, coupled with horizontal shear beams that simulate the restraining effects introduced by canyon wall. The resulting model is computationally one-dimensional, but it is meant to capture the main 3-D characteristics of the dam and canyon. A dam, for which recorded seismic base/crest response and 3-D finite element analyses are available, is analyzed with the proposed simplified procedure. Numerical results confirm the capacity of the proposed simplified method to represent the main characteristics of 3-D seismic response of nonhomogeneous embankment dams to horizontal seismic motions.